Welcome to My World
by bribri14
Summary: AU! Come into the life of a teenage girl with a single mother going through a few hard times. Please, please, please tell me what you think. I know it's totally AU but I think it might be worth your time. So leave your thoughts.


_Author's Note: This is totally AU but I just got the idea and I wanted to see where it would go. If it goes nowhere then that's fine but I had to do it so tell me what to think and please enjoy!_

**Welcome to My World**

**Chapter 1**

I've watched my mom for years on end go through just about the same things over and over, but there has been **one **constant, besides me, in her life; Harmon Rabb, Jr. Well heck, he's been a constant in my life as well, more than my own good for nothing, dead beat father, but that's a subject for another story. Anyway, Harm, or pop, as I like to call him, has been there for my mother through everything. I don't think my mom can tell her life story without Harm playing a huge roll in it. By the way, my name is Hailey, Hailey Lynne Mackenzie, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Jeanne Mackenzie and. . . doesn't even matter. I'm finally 16, thank God, and almost out of my mother's hair, which I'm not looking forward to.

"Hailey!" my mom calls me. I roll my eyes knowing what it is she wants.

"Yea mom?" I answer frustratingly.

She opens the door to my room and puts on her best marine/mother face, "Do not use that tone with me Hailey," she fusses.

I draw out a deep breath, "Yes ma'am." I have to refer to her as 'ma'am', she finds it very 'respectful'. Sometimes I think she mistakes me for one of her lower ranking co workers, we constantly argue that point.

"What happened today at school?"

"Today at school," I say actually looking as if I'm contemplating my day, "I went to. . ."

"Hailey, I got a call from your school today from the principal. What's with the excessive tardies, young lady?"

"Ugh," I exclaim.

"Tone."

I take a deep breath and begin, "They hardly give me enough time to get to the man's class. What am I supposed to do, run?"

"If that's what it takes," she retorts, which upsets me. And here's the wrath of me.

"It was only a tardy, okay? It's not like I was fighting or anything!" Big mistake; here's the wrath of my mother.

"That's it Hailey. I'm not going to tell you again to watch your tone. The last time was the last time! Give me your phone."

My eyes widen in response. That phone is my life. "Mom!"

"And don't let me catch you on that computer."

"Mom!"

"And no television. Say another word and you'll be stuck in this house until your 21."

"I need my phone," I whine as she throws her hand out for me to hand it to her. I hope she doesn't think that I'm giving up just that quick. "Can we compromise."

"Compromise?! Hailey Lynne Mackenzie if that phone is not in my hand by the count of three you can expect all your privileges to go out the window."

Reluctantly, I hand her my life. "Ugh!" I mumble.

"You're grounded for 2 weeks."

Can't get away with anything around here. I watch her walk out of my door. She's such a stiff. Ever since Paraguay and the 'end' of her friendship with Harm she's been coming down extra hard on me. And that boyfriend of hers. . .Clark, Clem, fine, Clay. I knew his name all along but I hate saying his name,it makes the whole thing like so real. She doesn't know it, but I know what happened in Paraguay. How? Ha! I have my sources. . . reliable sources. So about Clayton, I don't like him, never did, never will, period, the end. I can tell he loves my mom but as for my mom loving him back. . . negative. I've seen her in love, I know what she looks like when she's in love and I've only seen her look that way in Harm's presence. I'm not as naïve as they think I am.

I walk down the hall into the living room where my mother sits in front of the fireplace. She's been doing that a lot lately. Sitting, moping, crappy, mad, angry, upset, this is what she's like on a daily basis these days and let me be the one to tell you, Clayton is just adding on to her stress. I slowly walk over to the sofa and sit down next to her. Her face is tear-stained, her nose is red, and her eyes are puffy. Seeing her this way makes me want to do the same. She wraps her arm around my shoulder and I lean into her taking in her familiar scent. I feel like a kid and I like it. I miss these times, but I do wish it was under different circumstances. She buries her face into my brown hair and I know she's crying right now. I feel a single tear stream down my own cheek.

"I'm sorry," I whisper burying my face into her neck.

"It's okay," she sniffles. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"Why?"

"Leaving you with my mother while I went to Paraguay, biggest mistake of my life."

"You did what you had to do, mom. Marines don't back down and I understand that."

She looks into my eyes and smiles, "How did you become so wise, Hails?"

I shrug my shoulders, "I don't know."

"I promise I'll never leave you again like that. . ."

I nod in response.

We spend the rest of the night talking and laughing which leads to more serious conversations. Like my father, for example. She always seems unwilling to talk about him and constantly changes the subject to drift further and further away from touching that one. But this time, nope, not gonna let it happen, we're talking about just that. And that's what we did. She told me some things I already knew; her childhood, teenage years, how she had me at 19, her marriage, her affair with my no good father who will remain nameless, her alcoholism. Now that was interesting. While she 'dried out' I stayed with my Uncle Matt. She told me that I was the main reason why she gave it up and why she would never go there again. She had a rough life and now it seems like it's catching up with her. She's hanging tough though, I'm proud of her. I learned that she ended things with Clayton Webb and how she and Harm are slowly but surely working toward a stronger friendship. . . or more. She didn't say that, but the look on her face totally revealed the truth.

T B C. . .

End Note: Please review. I hope you like it even though it is totally AU. Please, please, please tell me what you think.


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